Aruba has a fascinating history, one that has been colored by warring European colonizers, a boom-and-bust economy and the creation of a new language. The unique language, Papiamento, is something of which Arubans are especially proud; it is a unique combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, African and Indian words. It is spoken only on the Dutch "ABC" islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
Alonso de Ojeda claimed Aruba for the Spanish Crown in 1499. In 1634, near the culmination of their 80-year war with Spain, the Dutch took over the island. Aruba is part of the Dutch Commonwealth and had its "Status Apart in 1986"
Gold was discovered on the island in 1824 and mined successfully until 1913. As the yield turned meager and mining became unprofitable, the aloe plant became the primary agricultural crop. The island soon became the world's leading aloe producer.
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